97 - Natica

Hello friends, Welcome to the Fossil Repository at the Department of Geology, Shivaji Science College, Nagpur. I am Natica. I am a fossil. My shell is large and globular, with a wide aperture and a relatively small spire. It often looks like a full moon. Depending on the species, the surface of my shell can be smooth or sculptured with spiral ridges or grooves. I have an operculum, a hard, calcareous plate attached to my foot. I use it to seal my shell aperture when I retract inside for protection. I possess a radula, a specialized feeding organ equipped with tiny teeth. I use it to drill through the shells of my prey, primarily bivalves. My foot is muscular and adapted for movement and burrowing into sandy or muddy substrates. I also use it to anchor myself and secure prey while feeding. I am a carnivorous predator that mainly feeds on other mollusks, especially bivalves. I drill into their shells using my radula to access their soft tissues. I can be found in various marine habitats worldwide, including intertidal zones, sandy beaches, and shallow coastal waters. I prefer sandy or muddy substrates where I can burrow and I am gonochoric, meaning I have a specific sex. I reproduce sexually, with fertilization occurring externally. Females like me lay egg capsules containing numerous embryos, which hatch into free-swimming larvae. I have adaptations such as a streamlined shell shape and a muscular foot specialized for burrowing. This helps me quickly dig into the substrate to escape predators or search for prey. I play an important role in marine ecosystems as a predator, helping to control populations of bivalves and other mollusks. I contribute to the balance of marine food webs and nutrient cycling. Thank you for visiting.